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Finnish Midsummer Night

Before leaving to Holland I wanted to spend my last weekend in Finland celebrating the Finnish Midsummer. This tradition of ours represents the high point of summer which is also known in Finnish as the “nightless night”. In the very north of Finland the sun stays up all night. Here in the south it’s a little darker, but you can still read a book without having to use extra lights. Although it’s an ancient feast, midsummer is still an important national festival in Finland, as well as in Sweden and Norway.

Just like most Finns, we left town on Thursday afternoon and set off to a summer cottage to spend some time in the nature. It’s very normal that during midsummer the towns are deserted. What do we do at the countryside then? We relax in the sauna, swim in a lake/the sea, grill, stay up all night and build traditional midsummer bonfires.

Here are some Finnish midsummer traditions:

In the old days, unmarried women would use special charms and bend over a well, naked, in order to see their future husband’s reflection.

Another tradition that continues today, young ladies collect seven different sorts of flowers and place them under their pillows. They will then see their future husbands in their dreams.

In the midsummer sauna we like to use branches of fresh birch which we tie up and then use them to beat ourselves while bathing in the sauna. Sounds crazy, but it helps the blood circulation and clears your skin!

There are also midsummer dances, songs and events. The most famous one is in Helsinki in Seurasaari, an outdoor area with lovely cottages and walking routes. It’s open for tourists and all those who have decided to stay in town for midsummer.

Instead of blabbing on about my wonderful weekend, here are some pictures of our midsummer 2013!

Anna

A 24-year-old Finnish-English traveler, sharing stories from the rainforests of Borneo to the beaches of Sri Lanka, and from the Sahara desert all the way to the Arctic circle.Current location: The Netherlands